July 26, 2011

On Monday, organizers for the Galloway Captiva Triathlon, to be held Sept. 17 and 18 at South Seas Island Resort, announced that Community Cooperative Ministries, Inc. (CCMI) has been selected as the benefitting non-profit for the inaugural event.

"We are always looking for new ways to partner with community groups and special events to spread our mission of being innovators in the fight against hunger and homelessness," said Sarah Owen, CEO of CCMI. "Food-insecure people are especially vulnerable due to the additional risk factors associated with limited resources, limited access to healthy and affordable foods and limited opportunities for physical activity so being a part of an event like this open to all age groups is a win-win."

CCMI is an innovative non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization made up of social service entrepreneurs fighting to end homelessness and hunger in our community. The agency provides more than 14,000 meals each month through their Everyday Cafe and Marketplace and Home Delivered Meals programs.

In addition, CCMI educates 40 children in their Community Montessori, offers homeless and comprehensive case management services through their United Way Resource House, oversees an emergency mobile food pantry and supplies weekend backpacks full of food to more than 2,500 children each school year.

A portion of the proceeds raised at the event will go towards supporting CCMI’s mission of fighting homeless and hunger.

"I am so pleased to be working with CCMI again," said Angie Ferguson, race coordinator for the event. "They are a wonderful organization that does such fantastic and needed work in our community. It's really a gift to be able to give back."

To be held over the weekend of Sept. 17-18, the Galloway Captiva Triathlon is a family, fun and fitness weekend on Captiva Island centered around a children’s triathlon on Saturday morning and an adult sprint length triathlon on Sunday morning.

According to event promoters, there will be two children’s races on Sept. 17 beginning at 7 a.m.:

• 6 to 9-year-olds will complete a 100-yard swim, 1.5-mile bike and a half-mile run

The swimming course will take place in waist-deep water with the course lined with adults and lifeguards. The biking course will be closed to all traffic. The running course will be along the golf course overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

The adult race, which starts at noon on Sept. 18, is a sprint length which includes a quarter-mile swim, 10-mile bike and a 3.1-mile run. Registration is limited to 500 participants and all activities will take place on Captiva.